Brown County Sheriff John Gossage said officials worry that a greater-than-usual number of veteran officers may be tempted to retire this year, as Gov. Scott Walker and Republicans in the state Legislature push to require public employees to contribute a larger percentage of their incomes to the public retirement plans.

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For now, police and firefighters are exempt from the proposed changes, but there is concern that might change in the coming years.

"It's certainly within the realm of possibility" there could be more retirements at the department this year, Gossage said. He said 15 employees of the department are eligible for retirement.

Managing employee turnover is a concern for government and schools in any year, but it's particularly important in 2011 as municipal budgets continue to be squeezed.

Wisconsin teachers already have started asking questions about retirement, said Joe Sheehan, superintendent of the Sheboygan School District. Deadlines for teachers to apply for early retirement vary from district to district based on contracts, so many districts could see more teachers come forward as the budget situation becomes clearer.

"Dozens have inquired. People are saying, 'I know what I have. If I stay here another year, will that change?'"

Teachers in the Plymouth School District also have been inquiring about potential retirement, and some of those are people who would not consider leaving without the current budget-related fallout in Madison, Superintendent Clark Reinke said.

The Republican governor who took office in January says his proposal would save the state millions in the short and long term. It would require almost all public employees, excluding police and fire employees, to increase their contributions to their pensions and health insurance.

Some public-safety officials are concerned they could be the next to pay greater shares of the cost of their pensions and insurance. Other states, such as Ohio, have not exempted public safety workers from proposed increases in contributions.

The subject of potential impacts of the Walker bill on public safety was broached Tuesday in a meeting with the secretary of the state's Department of Administration, Gossage said by telephone from Madison.

"We did talk about potential changes down the road in insurance and retirement," the sheriff said.

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"They didn't see any changes in the foreseeable future, but it's certainly within the realm of possibility."

Leaders in public safety units in Green Bay and Ashwaubenon said they believe their employees are watching the budget situation, but not rushing into decisions about their careers.

"There is a lot of talk about the situation," Green Bay Fire Chief Jeff Roemer said in an e-mail.

"But I have not received any additional retirement letters at this point, and think that most (retirement-eligible firefighters) will take a wait-and-see attitude."

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